Hyperproliferative skin diseases are a common dermatologic problem and include both benign and malignant skin conditions. Benign hyperproliferative skin conditions include such entities as common warts (verruca vulgaris), flat warts (verruca plana), seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis, psoriasis, certain types of ichthyosis, genital warts (condyloma accuminatum), molluscum contagiosum, and acanthosis nigricans. Malignant hyperproliferative skin conditions include such entities as basal cell carcima, squamous cell carinoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease), melanoma, and sarcoma.
Various treatments for hyperproliferative skin conditions including physical destructive modalities and pharmacologic treatment. Commonly used physical destructive techniques include cryotherapy, electrosurgery, laser surgery, dermabrasion, and chemical ablation. Commonly used phamacologic treatments for hyperproliferative skin conditions include topical fluorouracil, imiquimod, alpha and beta hydroxy acids, cantharidin, corticosteroids, ingenol menbutate, and tretinoin. While these topical pharmacologic treatments are at times effective, many are limited by the adverse side-effect profile including extreme irritation (ingenol mebutate and fluorouracil), modest efficacy (imiquimod), and systemic toxicity (cantharidin). Because of these limitations with existing topical treatments for hyperproliferative skin conditions, physicians for years have sought to develop alternative pharmacologic treatments with enhanced efficacy and decreased side-effects.